What happened
On 3 July 2000, a Europa, registration G-BXIJ, was conducting a private flight from Inverness to a grass airstrip at Knockbain Farm, near Dingwall. The flight crew, consisting of one pilot and one passenger, performed an overhead join for Runway 08 under wind conditions of 050°/08 kt. During the downwind leg, the pilot completed all necessary pre-landing checks, and the landing gear and flaps were deployed during the base leg.
The aircraft approached the threshold at a stabilized speed of approximately 60 kt, which was reduced to 55 kt. Upon touchdown at the start of the strip, the aircraft encountered an undulating surface, causing it to bounce. Following a second bounce, the pilot decided to initiate a go-around. As full power was applied while the aircraft was still airborne, the aircraft experienced a leftward yaw.
Due to the low airspeed, the pilot found that control inputs were largely ineffective. The aircraft drifted left off the runway into an area of uncut grass, approximately 18 inches in height. The left outrigger wheel became caught in the tall grass, causing a further increase in the leftward yaw. The pilot observed a fence to the left, and before the throttle could be closed, the aircraft struck the fence, resulting in damage to the propeller and the wing tips. There were no injuries to the occupants.
The investigation
Investigators examined the sequence of events following the accident report submitted by the pilot. The investigation focused on the aircraft's behavior during the transition from touchdown to the go-around maneuver. The examination established that the aircraft's speed was very low at the moment the pilot attempted to recover from the bounces. The investigation also looked into the impact of the airfield surface and the surrounding vegetation on the aircraft's directional control.